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In conversations with a number of strategists familiar with the race -- and the state's politics -- over the past few days, a few common themes emerged.

* What's the "Why"?: From the start of her campaign, Hutchison struggled to explain -- in clear, concise language -- both why she was running and why voters should fire Perry. The real answer to the question was that it was "her turn" said one senior level party strategist, not exactly a compelling message to take to voters. Hutchison had been talked out of the 2006 governor's race by party poobahs who insisted that if she let Perry run for one more term, he would -- of course -- step aside in 2010 and the race would be hers. When Perry didn't retire, Hutchison seemed caught off guard -- she was already too far over her ski tips to pull back on a gubernatorial bid but she also had not game-planned for the idea of a competitive primary against the sitting governor. The primary argument she and her campaign eventually settled on against Perry was that he had simply been in office too long and it was time for a change. But, with Texas doing far better economically than almost any other state in the country (more on that later), voters didn't see the need to fire the incumbent. And, as the campaign wore on, the other pillar of Hutchison's argument against Perry -- that he could not win a general election -- also crumbled as polls showing her running only slightly stronger than Perry against Houston Mayor Bill White.

* A Panoply of Process: Reporters -- the Fix most of all -- love process stories. How much money candidates raise, what their television ads say, how they are doing in the polls etc. Voters could care less -- particularly in a political environment like this one where economic anxiety is running high. Given that reality, a number of party operatives expressed shock/amazement/befuddlement at Hutchison's relentless focus on process on the stump. The best/worst example was her months-long debate over whether or not to resign her Senate seat to run for governor and, if she was to resign, the timing of that decision. One informed observer said that Hutchison would regularly ask attendees of her events whether they thought she should resign or not -- a question that not only distracted from talking about the issues voters cared about but also reminded those who didn't know that she was still in Washington serving in the Senate (not a popular place to be). Hutchison deliberated -- and dithered -- for months on the question, often giving contradictory answers about whether she would step down and when it might happen within a 24-hour period. Her inability to make a decision was splashed across all of the major papers and television stations in the state, becoming THE story of the primary in the final few months of last year -- a tremendous distraction that took the focus off of Perry at a critical time.

* Mixed Messages: Hutchison spent a good deal of the campaign talking about education, high speed rail, ports and her desire to grow the Republican party. Perry talked exclusively about his record of job-creation in the state and his opposition to federal intrusion in state matters. It's not hard when you compare those two issue palettes to understand why Hutchison has fallen behind. Her issues are tailored for a general election, Perry's for a primary. Those familiar with the campaign also said that Hutchison often freelanced on the campaign trail, talking about issues far different than the message her campaign was pushing on any given day. Perry's message discipline -- he almost never stopped talking about jobs and the economy -- exacerbated Hutchison's struggle to stay on message.

* Perry's Political Skill: Even those who loathe Perry -- and there are many in that category -- acknowledge that he is a consummate politician. Perry effectively framed the race as a referendum not on his time in office but on Washington. He wasted little time with niceties, attacking Hutchison from the start as a product of Washington who had voted for legislation like the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that was actively loathed among the Republican electorate. "Rick Perry is a great candidate," said one unaligned strategist who has worked in Texas Republican politics. "You can argue whether or not he has been a good governor but he thrives in a campaign setting."

* Environmental hazards: Hutchison simply picked an awful year -- from a political environment perspective -- to return to the Lone Star State. Republican voters were mad as hell at Washington's profligate spending while Hutchison had spent years as a member of the Appropriations Committee steering cash back to the state. Republican voters wanted someone fired for the economic struggles while Hutchison refused to say whether Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner should be fired. And so on. Perry, on the other hand, innately seemed to understand the rage directed toward Washington (and government generally) as he was one of the first mainstream politicians to embrace the Tea Party movement and drew national headlines with his invocation of states' rights and the specter of secession. Not only was the national environment working against her but so too was the dynamic in Texas. Unlike almost every other state in the country where the economic slowdown had led to a deep pessimism in the electorate, Texas voters by large majorities believed the state was headed in the right direction -- badly complicating Hutchison's "time for a change" message.

For the record, I advised Sylvia Mayer of Kay Bailey Hutchison's campaign last summer and fall (of 2009) to ask for Democratic and Independent voters in a separate "Democrats for Kay" type of front organization which would be based on hatred for Sarah Palin who endorsed Perry and which Kay could easily distance herself from because it would not be a part of her campaign. I told Sylvia that Kay did not have enough Republican primary voters to win when most of these voters are tea party activists who would not vote for her which is why she had to try and expand the amount of people who would vote in the Republican primary. That is especially true in a non-Presidential election year when voter turn-out is expected to be at its lowest. If Sylvia Mayer or anyone else at Kay's campaign would have listened to my professional political advice which I offered at no charge, then Kay would definitely have run a much better campaign where she may have had very good chances of winning.

Politics all across the US is a bit weird these days, but nowhere as weird as in Texas.
Perry flirts with the "S" word.
Maybe the USA would be better off without Texas.
Imagine a fifteen foot tall fence along the Red Rive, the Sabine, along the 36 30 line at the top of the state, and between West Texas and the "Texas Strip" of New Mexico.
My guess is that New Mexico would be glad to donate a half dozen counties in the eastern part of the state to the new REDNECK NATION.

can't believe someone is advocating that Texas have the initiative and referendum process that has destroyed Ca.

The dirty little secrets about Texas are:

1. We have the highest property taxes in the country which Perry promised to cut- instead our home valuations were increased during a time of declining property values;
2. While our unemployment rate is relatively low, it is currently the highest the state has had in 20 years;
3. Texas college students have seen their tuitition triple under Perry they should really be ticked;
4. and Perry's immigration stance does not set well with the Valley voters.

Stay Tune for the story of how Rick Perry is finally term limited by Bill White.

The real truth shall set you free and Texas most likely will be free of Kay Bailey Hutchison. Here is some truth that is coming out.

"I will be a governor who never forgets who she works for." That is great for Ray Hutchison the bond attorney husband, AA, and DFW Airport, Enron (the former Law Firm for ENRON), against the needs of all Texans!

What Kay really means is-

In Kay Bailey Hutchison's own words, it is about money! " I want to earn money and support my children and the things that will put them in a very strong position for the future.” In the past it has been from her husbands best clients with payments through her husband.

For example:

Kay Bailey Hutchison and her Bond attorney husband Ray Hutchison have taken $Millions from DFW Airport Bond management fees since 1968 to now.

Most recent increase in Bond Management fees being the additional DFW Airport Bond for $2.7 Billion in 2005 by Ray the bond attorney and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (the former law firm for ENRON).

Kay Bailey will take all the money she and Ray can get their hands on and do it under her role in Government.

Most likely Ray wants Kay to be Governor because she cannot make as much money in the Senate any more now that the Democrats are in charge.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is a front for Ray to make vast sums of money behind the Oz Curtain of Government.

Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison did more in a sneeze in felony theft of public trust then Don Hill (former Mayor Pro Tem Dallas) even could imagine doing and he was found guilty, as he should have been.

When will Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison be investigated??

$Millions have made it into the Hutchison household by Kay Bailey as front for her husband Ray's best clients, AA, DFW, City of Dallas, and countless towns in Texas doing bonds through Ray and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (former law firm for ENRON).

Kay and Ray have no shame, only greed.

Kay and Ray do you need to make money at the expense of the tax payers and their children?

armpeg is an idiot and represents the classic illiterate! The President is not a Communist and far too intelligent for you to appreciate. Only God knows what will happen in 2010 and 2012. Idiots like this talk loud and engage only with like idiots. You have no idea how the majority (literate, intelligent, non biased) will vote. They are foreign to you.

While Kay Bailey Hutchison may have thought that Texas voters were tired of Rick Perry and wanted a change, maybe they are even more tired of her. John Cornyn has been a senator for 8 years, KBH for 18 years, yet Cornyn is a leader and KBH is not. She's been a back-bencher representing one of the most important states, and that is just not good enough.

What if she'd been running for reelection and had a strong challenger in the primary? What accomplishments could she point to, as reason for Republicans to send her back for another term? She is still in the prime of life, she can do many good things in the decades remaining to her. But running for governor when she has only two years of executive experience, as state treasurer, seemed to be a long shot from the beginning.

Lastly, if Texas was in the same difficulties as California, New York, and probably at least ten other states, then Perry would be in trouble. Instead Texas is one of the few bright spots in the country. Whether that is due to Rick Perry or not, most Texans are probably thankful that he has not led them as badly as Schwartzenegger, Corzine, and Granholm.

Medina talks on issues relevant to Texas and our state. There's little prospect for new campaign finance reform legislation in the wake of last week's Supreme Court decision expanding the ability of outside groups to pour money into elections. I feel that we should have "initiative and referendum" as well so that the voting public has a say on each an every issue confronting Texans. Wouldn't it be nice if all the pundits were wrong and people voted out all the incumbents. We need to do a house cleaning. "Vote Perry out! Vote Out The Encumbant entrenched political heirarchy. Since we do not have "Term limitation" in Texas I feel "We the people" should vote out all the entrenched career politicians. I voted Medina!! Today!!

Neo-Conservatives are those with the view that the U.S. needs to dominate the world militarily. The most virulent neo-conservatives were responsible for the "spread democracy" tilt of the Bush Administration's foreign policy and were the architects of the Iraq War, opposed by most liberals. Neo-conservatives typically are focused primarily on foreign and defense policy, and not much involved on domestic policies.

Neo-Conservatives are those with the view that the U.S. needs to dominate the world militarily. The most virulent neo-conservatives were responsible for the "spread democracy" tilt of the Bush Administration's foreign policy and were the architects of the Iraq War, opposed by most liberals. Neo-conservatives typically are focused primarily on foreign and defense policy, and not much involved on domestic policies.

It is not really surprising that nearly every single paper in Texas is either supporting Perry or Kay"Bailout". Texas Mainstream Media has also become a bastion of "Neo-Cons", aka-liberals dressed in sheeps clothing!! And when did it become unfashionable to believe in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Well my vote will go to Debra Medina and that seems to be the consensus among one heck of a lot of Texans. Watch out come 2 March 2010,"The Super Tuesday of the Patriot Movement". Kay and Rick are gonna get their behinds kicked and "We Texans" will have freedom restored!!

Don Hill the former Mayor Pro Tem of Dallas slept with his co-defendent and they both were convicted of Felony with Don Hill and his sleeping partner doing most likely the same thing Kay Bailey Hutchison and her could be co-defendent Ray have done and are doing, if it were ever investigated.

Don Hill most likely will be sentienced with 18+ years in Federal Prision for his graft. His maximum time could be 100+ years.

The difference is I do not know he sleeps with his "graft" partner in crime that holds any player in Texas hostage that you have to do business with Ray Hutchison if you want to get your deal done or imply that.

It was best said by another-

"Kay Bailey's ethics leave much to be desired. As KBH points out, there are serious unanswered questions about her advocacy on behalf of the DFW Airport Board while her husband simultaneously served as the Board's legal advisor. The Wright Amendment (of which she became the primary defendant) effectively rammed the only legally protected airport monopoly down the throats of North Texans against our will-- American Airlines made out like a bandit as a result. Hutchison lacks a moral compass-- she will do anything and everything to maximize her political power and her husband Ray's earnings potential (the perception is that when you hire Ray, you effectively purchase access to Kay)."

Surprise Kay ! This is what the GOP has evolved into while you were away in Washington . The GOP coddling the Sarah Palins and Tea Bag Party members has turned the party into a bunch of angry Christian white people who are not interested in anyone who actually wants to solve problems . Any one with half a brain is called an "elitist" and you better not even contemplate working with the other party.

Posted by: pb185

------------------------

The GOP doesn't want to solve people's problems? Hmmm...so all of that liberal problem-solving in California is working out well then? No matter how you slice it, Texas still has one of the best employment situations in the nation, which means that this "bunch of angry Christian white people who are not interested in anyone who actually wants to solve problems" must be doing something right.

Posted by: blert
--------
Well one thing certain the State budget is in the hole like all the other states. What has Perry done? Not much considering the fact that he's running a theme of being against Washington while KBH is shoveling money to the state.

To top that to have Perry threaten to secede from the union, if it were to happen I would exact a extremely high price for TX to repay my tax dollars the "welfare" state took.

Chris, there are a couple of reasons why KBH has run so poorly against "The Hairdo", as many of us Texans refer to Rick Perry, but the principal one is that she simply is not that impressive of a candidate. I went to a fundraiser (on someone else's dime) of hers when she was running for state treasurer in 1990. She was unable to speak in more than cliches and generalities then, and nothing's changed in 20 years.

As for all the comments about how voters see no reason to fire The Hairdo for doing "such a good job," that is because most of them living here in Texas seem blissfully unaware of the fact that the office of governor is weaker in Texas than in any other state in the union. The real work in the executive branch here is done by the lieutenant governor; the governor is mostly a figurehead. Which I wish more people would have understood before touting Shrub's "executive experience" in 2000.....

Put Perry in another state where he'd have to do something besides threaten to secede and beat back rumors that he's gay, and you'd see a far less than stellar performance in office.

I think the frequencies on dribbl's tin foil hat have been scrambled today. even for her it has been a series of random ranting and frothing.

still hunting for that needle in haystack that might constitute a single instance of personal failings on the part of any Repub or anyone not specifically labled with a D behind their name. Beats discussing the elephant in the room (apologies to pachyderms) - the growing list of utter failures launched by Peloony/Reid/Obimbo.

Surprise Kay ! This is what the GOP has evolved into while you were away in Washington . The GOP coddling the Sarah Palins and Tea Bag Party members has turned the party into a bunch of angry Christian white people who are not interested in anyone who actually wants to solve problems . Any one with half a brain is called an "elitist" and you better not even contemplate working with the other party.

Posted by: pb185

------------------------

The GOP doesn't want to solve people's problems? Hmmm...so all of that liberal problem-solving in California is working out well then? No matter how you slice it, Texas still has one of the best employment situations in the nation, which means that this "bunch of angry Christian white people who are not interested in anyone who actually wants to solve problems" must be doing something right.

The truth shall set you free and Texas most likely will be free of Kay Bailey Hutchison. Here is some truth that is coming out.

"I will be a governor who never forgets who she works for." That is great for Ray Hutchison the bond attorney husband, AA, and DFW Airport, Enron (the former Law Firm for ENRON), against the needs of all Texans!

What Kay really means is-

In Kay Bailey Hutchison's own words, it is about money! " I want to earn money and support my children and the things that will put them in a very strong position for the future.” In the past it has been from her husbands best clients with payments through her husband.

For example:

Kay Bailey Hutchison and her Bond attorney husband Ray Hutchison have taken $Millions from DFW Airport Bond management fees since 1968 to now.

Most recent increase in Bond Management fees being the additional DFW Airport Bond for $2.7 Billion in 2005 by Ray the bond attorney and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (the former law firm for ENRON).

Kay Bailey will take all the money she and Ray can get their hands on and do it under her role in Government.
Most likely Ray wants Kay to be Governor because she cannot make as much money in the Senate any more now that the Democrats are in charge.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is a front for Ray to make vast sums of money behind the Oz Curtain of Government.

Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison did more in a sneeze in felony theft of public trust then Don Hill (former Mayor Pro Tem Dallas) even could imagine doing and he was found guilty, as he should have been.

When will Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison be investigated??

$Millions have made it into the Hutchison household by Kay Bailey as front for her husband Ray's best clients, AA, DFW, City of Dallas, and countless towns in Texas doing bonds through Ray and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (former law firm for ENRON).

Kay and Ray have no shame, only greed.

Kay and Ray do you need to make money at the expense of the tax payers and their children?

The truth shall set you free and Texas most likely will be free of Kay Bailey Hutchison. Here is some truth that is coming out.

"I will be a governor who never forgets who she works for." That is great for Ray Hutchison the bond attorney husband, AA, and DFW Airport, Enron (the former Law Firm for ENRON), against the needs of all Texans!

What Kay really means is-

In Kay Bailey Hutchison's own words, it is about money! " I want to earn money and support my children and the things that will put them in a very strong position for the future.” In the past it has been from her husbands best clients with payments through her husband.

For example:

Kay Bailey Hutchison and her Bond attorney husband Ray Hutchison have taken $Millions from DFW Airport Bond management fees since 1968 to now.

Most recent increase in Bond Management fees being the additional DFW Airport Bond for $2.7 Billion in 2005 by Ray the bond attorney and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (the former law firm for ENRON).

Kay Bailey will take all the money she and Ray can get their hands on and do it under her role in Government.
Most likely Ray wants Kay to be Governor because she cannot make as much money in the Senate any more now that the Democrats are in charge.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is a front for Ray to make vast sums of money behind the Oz Curtain of Government.

Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison did more in a sneeze in felony theft of public trust then Don Hill (former Mayor Pro Tem Dallas) even could imagine doing and he was found guilty, as he should have been.

When will Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison be investigated??

$Millions have made it into the Hutchison household by Kay Bailey as front for her husband Ray's best clients, AA, DFW, City of Dallas, and countless towns in Texas doing bonds through Ray and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (former law firm for ENRON).

Kay and Ray have no shame, only greed.

Kay and Ray do you need to make money at the expense of the tax payers and their children?

The truth shall set you free and Texas most likely will be free of Kay Bailey Hutchison. Here is some truth that is coming out.

"I will be a governor who never forgets who she works for." That is great for Ray Hutchison the bond attorney husband, AA, and DFW Airport, Enron (the former Law Firm for ENRON), against the needs of all Texans!

What Kay really means is-

In Kay Bailey Hutchison's own words, it is about money! " I want to earn money and support my children and the things that will put them in a very strong position for the future.” In the past is has been from her husbands best clients with payments through her husband.

For example:

Kay Bailey Hutchison and her Bond attorney husband Ray Hutchison have taken $Millions from DFW Airport Bond management fees since 1968 to now.

Most recent increase in Bond Management fees being the additional DFW Airport Bond for $2.7 Billion in 2005 by Ray the bond attorney and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (the former law firm for ENRON).

Kay Bailey will take all the money she and Ray can get their hands on and do it under her role in Government.
Most likely Ray wants Kay to be Governor because she cannot make as much money in the Senate any more now that the Democrats are in charge.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is a front for Ray to make vast sums of money behind the Oz Curtain of Government.

Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison did more in a sneeze in felony theft of public trust then Don Hill (former Mayor Pro Tem Dallas) even could imagine doing and he was found guilty, as he should have been.

When will Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison be investigated??

$Millions have made it into the Hutchison household by Kay Bailey as front for her husband Ray's best clients, AA, DFW, City of Dallas, and countless towns in Texas doing bonds through Ray and his law firm Vinson and Elkins (former law firm for ENRON).

Kay and Ray have no shame, only greed.

Kay and Ray do you need to make money at the expense of the tax payers and their children?

Last weekend on ABC’s This Week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) called out Republicans in Congress who voted against the Recovery Act, but then promote the money that it delivered to their districts. “I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around pushing back on the stimulus,” he said. “Then they go out and they do the photo ops and they’re posing with the big check and they say, ‘Isn’t this great?’” Last night on Fox News, former GOP senator Rick Santorum agreed with Schwarzenegger’s comment:

SANTORUM: I would be very cautious if I were a Republican to do that. But to take money from that package and go out and do photo-ops talking about how many jobs it creates does undermine your credibility.

Members of Congress having opposed this plan then running out and saying here’s money I brought home to the district — that’s not to say your district doesn’t get the money. They would whether you do the photo- op or not. But I wouldn’t be out promoting it."

'For instance, Prince Alwaleed owns a $4.3 billion dollar stake in Citigroup, and has announced that he opposes President Obama’s financial reforms like the banker speculation tax. On Fox News, the bank tax and other financial reforms have been smeared with misinformation and outright lies.

In an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto last month, Prince Alwaleed emphasized the importance of the “strategic alliance” of America’s reliance on Saudi oil. Other Saudi officials have called efforts to build a clean energy economy in America Saudi Arabia’s “biggest threat.”

Fox News dedicates much of its coverage to attacking clean energy legislation that would lead to American energy independence. If clean energy legislation dies, America will continue to be a foreign oil-dependent nation, which would benefit Prince Alwaleed and other members of the Saudi royal family."

You can always tell who the conservatives and Republican's best candidate is for any election by reading the practically all liberal; all Democrap Socialist; all Obama worshipping; all America--hating, and all homosexual girlymen hysterical hissi-fit and name-calling psycho--babble of the Fix commenters. If they like a particular Republican, he or she is toast in a election, which is the reason they like him or her. They know that they can beat him/her.
Remember conservatives and Republicans, these Obama worshippers once loved McCain too.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was hospitalized yesterday for chest pains. I wish this Mighty Patriot a swift recovery.

I decided to swing by the Puffington Host to see what comments hadn't been censored yet, but I was too late: Lefties were already complaining that their vitriol had been deleted. DailyKos did not disappoint however:

I hope he lives to get the same reward Reagan got many years stumbling around not knowing his own name while wallowing in his own (excrement)! And I hope his old lady is forced to stick around to have his stench become entrenched in her sinus cavities.
On a related note, crackpot socialist alcoholic Jesus-Hater Chris Hitchens writes an obituary for Alexander Haig that really raises the bar for Keith Olbermann and Bill Maher. aka the inteligentsia of the loons.

Mark, from the things you have said about her she sounds like a decent nice person. Now I disagree with a good amount of her policies but I definitly think of her as one of the good guys (or gals in this case) in DC.

And frankly I would like her to stay in the Senate since I think after a month or so she will be more willing to work with the other side since her base has scorned her so badly. Than maybe she will join Evan Bayh's new moderate party that he is going to start in two years or so (New Bull-Moose party anyone??)

CC, I think you nailed it. KBH should have quit the Senate seat at the end of '08 and she should have nailed Goodhair on his cronyism and personal wealth building, his toll road fiasco, and his vetoing of eminent domain reform sponsored by the rural and ag interests in TX.

She could have countered the TX growth argument by pointing out that ALL the growth is in greater H, DFW, and metro Austin. The bulk of the R strongholds are stagnating or losing ground. 100K new jobs in H means nothing in Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Tyler, Corpus, or San Angelo.

Now I am voting for my old classmate [twice, I hope] in the R Primary [and in the still likely runoff].

But I will be voting for White in the Fall. KBH says she will resign after the Primary. We shall see, Andy.

Surprise Kay ! This is what the GOP has evolved into while you were away in Washington . The GOP coddling the Sarah Palins and Tea Bag Party members has turned the party into a bunch of angry Christian white people who are not interested in anyone who actually wants to solve problems . Any one with half a brain is called an "elitist" and you better not even contemplate working with the other party.

You have to wonder if she will run again. She had said earlier that she wouldn't, because she adopted children. If she does decide to retire, she probably would become an ally of Obamas, because she is at heart not a crazy winger.

One other point that CC doesn't mention is how this will effect KBH the next time she has to run for Senate or if she even will run again?
I think the Obama administration should actively try and court her as an ally for future bipartisan support for bills that may interest her or Texas. The wrath of a scorned politician can be impressive in its vengance, and the Administration would do well to try and channel that feeling with KBH.

It's interesting to see how much difficulty people who immerse themselves in campaign mechanics have when it comes to judging their own prospects against other people who immerse themselves in campaign mechanics.

Sen. Hutchinson isn't a dope; she knows Gov. Perry has been successful in Texas politics, and knows where his strength lies. Yet she finds herself running directly against that strength, and defending her own record against a governor who has had the job for almost ten years.

You can get all the mechanics -- all the fundraising, the positioning, the appearances -- right and still lose, if the guy you're running against is better than you are.

The thing is that by embrassing the Tea-Party movement and his other more extreme conservative views he will hurt himself in the general election. He is only 4% over Bill White who has a much lower name ID than Perry, and Perry's numbers are below 50% and have stayed there for a while now. I think if Perry wins than the Democrats may actually take the Texas Governor's mansion, since White will take up the mantle of Moderate who non-partisan problem solver. Ironically he can use the playbook created by the McDonnel campaign to take down the very conservative Perry.

Very good post, CC. I think Rick Perry will win the primary and reelection in the GE. Rick Perry will be governor of Texas for 4 more year, at least if he wants it. He may well run for President in 2012, but he says he has the best job in the world as governor of Texas. Perry could win a national Republican primary. He would immediately get the Sarah Palin endorsement and excite the TEA party. Perry is a great campaigner, not afraid to throw punches and go negative and is a great fundraiser. Perry would attract the border patrolers as he's strong on immigration, taxes, energy and states rights. Rick Perry, if he wins reelection as Texas governor, can just continue his campaign in Texas into a Presidential Republican primary if he wants to. He immediately would outdo Conservatives and make it a Perry vs. Romney Presidential primary, touch luck Pawlenty. Whether that will happen, who knows? I do think that Perry will win reelection, however.

About the only voters still dumb enough to vote for Obama by then, will be his tribal members, a few hard-line Democrap Socialists, and every Al Qaeda and Taliban sympathiser in the country, who'll support this buffoon because his Keystone Cop--like bumblings are helping their cause.

Posted by: armpeg | February 23, 2010 12:53 PM | Report abuse

Try taking your medication as reccomended by your doctor; it really will help.

The reason Hutchinson won't beat Perry is that the Texas economy is doing by far better than most other states, and the Texas voters won't fire a guy who'se been doing a good job.
This is also the same reason why the American voters will probably tar and feather, and run out on a rail, every Democrap Socialist Senator, Representative, and governor in the 2010 midterm elections that they can fire. And ditto in the 2012 presidential elections, when they'll fire Barack Obama, having come to the conclusion that they've been conned by a street hustling incompetent Communist, who'se ideas and agenda to redistribute all wealth has put our economy and our country into the tank and at risk. About the only voters still dumb enough to vote for Obama by then, will be his tribal members, a few hard-line Democrap Socialists, and every Al Qaeda and Taliban sympathiser in the country, who'll support this buffoon because his Keystone Cop--like bumblings are helping their cause.